Army Corp of Engineers to host public meeting for the Sam Rayburn Reservoir Master Plan revision

Published 2:31 pm, Wednesday, April 22, 2015

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U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

Army Corp of Engineers to host public meeting for the Sam Rayburn Reservoir Master Plan revision

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The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host two public meetings on April 28 and 29 to provide information and receive public input as it prepares to revise the Master Plan for Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

The two meetings will be identical and are being held at two separate locations for the convenience of the public. The meeting on April 28 will be held at the Ellen Trout Zoo, 402 Zoo Circle, Lufkin, Texas 75904.The meeting will be held in the Jaguar meeting room. The meeting on April 29 will be at the Rayburn Country Banquet Room at 2376 Wingate Boulevard, Brookeland, Texas 75931. Both meetings will have an open house beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by a formal presentation at 6 p.m. At the conclusion of the presentation there will be time for the public to view maps, ask questions and provide comments about the project.

A Master Plan is defined by USACE as the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of the water resource development project. In general, it defines "how" the resources will be managed for public use and resource conservation. Revision of the Master Plan will not address in detail the technical operational aspects of the reservoir related to the water supply, flood risk management, navigation or hydroelectric power generation missions of the project.

The Master Plan study area will include Sam Rayburn Reservoir proper and all adjacent recreational and natural resources properties under USACE administration. Federal lands adjacent to the reservoir that are administered by the U.S. Forest Service will be noted in the Master Plan revision but will not be addressed in detail.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir, originally named McGee Bend Reservoir, was constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The reservoir became fully operational on March 29, 1965. Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a multi-purpose reservoir constructed and managed for flood risk management, water supply, hydropower, navigation, fish and wildlife, and recreation. The current Master Plan for Sam Rayburn Reservoir was prepared in September 1970 and is in need of revision to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends and USACE management policy. Key topics to be addressed in the revised Master Plan include revised land classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs and special topics such as invasive species management. Public participation is critical to the successful revision of the Master Plan.